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Kevin Hart Can Now Add 'Underwear Mogul' To His Impressive Resumé

Kevin Hart Discusses Tommy John x Kevin Hart Collaboration

PrintIan Lang

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Quick Take

Actor and comedian Kevin Hart is doing Tommy John. No, he's not having ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, though it wouldn't be entirely surprising given his active lifestyle. Instead, he's teaming up with luxury underwear brand Tommy John to announce the Tommy John x Kevin Hart line of skivvies and loungewear.

If you're not familiar with the brand, they were born on the internet with the intent of selling men's underwear at the intersection of fashion, comfort and affordability. They cost a little more than your average department store underwear, sure, but they're designed to wear better and last longer than anything you've likely ever tried. Those multi-pack deals aren't so cheap when you have to replace them 3-4 times per year.

In fact, that's how Kevin Hart first got involved with Tommy John. He needed underwear while on tour, and popped into a Nordstrom to see what they had.

His reaction was the same as most guys when they try nicer underpants for the first time -- he was blown away, and bought every pair he could find. He was so impressed that he approached the company and (by his telling in a GQ interview) begged them to work with him:

And you liked Tommy John so much you decided to start working with them.

For me, it was coming into the brand and actually meeting with Tommy and telling him with I was a fan of the product. Before I said anything, I told him, "I want you to understand that I'm not a guy coming to talk to you from the perspective like I want you to put my face on the underwear and will you pay me to do this." I told him that I thought the product was amazing and I want to invest in the product, and I would love to ultimately help grow the brand. I have the power and capability to bring additional level of awareness to your product. I'm not all over everything, the things I attach myself to are things I can say go along with my brand. It's something true to the movement of myself and my business. I think these underwear fit my lifestyle, that's literally what I felt.

Wow, that really says something that you approached them.

What I loved most about it is [Tommy John CEO] Tom didn't jump at it. He wasn't blown away by the celebrity. He wasn't like "Oh God, Kevin Hart wants to be a part of this, let's go." He had to do his homework. He had to see if it was something he wanted, if it was something that fit with the brand. I respect him so much for that, for not just jumping up and saying, "Yeah, Kevin Hart, it's going to be amazing." I literally had to sell him on what I felt could bring to the brand. Because he saw the passion I have, that's why we've been able to develop what we've developed and made it to the point we've made it to. The Tommy John x Kevin Hart line that's out, people are going to go: Holy cow, look this is not only just an underwear brand, it's something true to Kevin's life. Because I'm at war every day, and I love that I challenge myself, I love that I'm my own competition. And the underwear are a true testament to my approach to day to day life and work. The quality, the comfort, the loungewear—it's a reflection of, when I do have time off, I want to spend that time in comfort. I want to feel good and and be as comfortable as possible.

Pretty remarkable! Kevin stresses, again, that he's not an ambassador or paid promoter of the brand -- he was so impressed that he became an actual investor in the company, which to him means his name and reputation hinge on the success or failure of the product.

A more cynical outlook would be that having a financial stake in a brand (while also acting as a celebrity spokesperson) is potentially a lot more lucrative than just signing an endorsement deal, but I also don't think a savvy person would jump into the rapidly-crowding men's underwear market without believing he had something. Is Kevin Hart savvy? His career to this point seems to indicate that he is.

As for the line itself, it's worth checking out. For his design contribution, he wanted a camo pattern on Tommy John's 360 Sport stretch fabric. The result is a high-end performance brief, equally at home on the playing field as it is under your sweatpants.

He also lends his name to a style in the Second Skin line, the ultra-soft fabric that drew him to the brand in the first place. You can also choose from a comfy looking loungewear set and performance socks that seamlessly go from office to gym.

They won't make you as funny, or as ripped, as Kevin Hart. But at least you'll know you're enjoying the same comfort as the hardest working man in comedy.